Android games console Ouya gets a firm grip on controller design

THE ANDROID based Ouya games console has had a controller redesign that promises to make it much better.

The controller has been tweaked, actually. A polish here, a rubberised grip there. According to the firm it's going to make it easier to hold and use to play games.

"The controller's the thing. We've been working from the beginning to make the controller experience as honed, fast and precise as possible," said a post on the Ouya website.

"Since the release of the Ouya Dev Console last month, developers around the world have sent us a ton of emails, comments, videos and forum posts... all about our controller. A lot of the feedback underscored things we were already changing, some comments were totally new, but ALL were great to hear."

It is possible that some of the comments were about the controller, as the outfit has made what it calls a number of tweaks to the handheld part of the hardware.

First up, the D pad has been changed from a disc to a cross style, which means gamers can stop worrying about accidental diagonal moves. As the firm says, "Accuracy and precision are back."

The thumb sticks now have a rubberised top. Judging by the images, this is rounded. Perhaps concave might have been a better choice, but perhaps that will come in a later update. For now the rubbered tops should allow for better traction and grip.

Both the touchpad and the triggers have been improved. The former is described as being more responsive and faster, and the latter more flush with the overall design. Meanwhile the battery bay sounds like a more professional affair in general. The old design looks poor in comparison.

"So there you have it. You talk. We listen (some of the time, at least :) and Ouya keeps getting better. Thank you," added the firm.

"We're serious here. We want to make Ouya the best it can possibly be. So don't stop telling us what you think - we can't do it without you." µ